Trouble Along the Horizon
More Than a Simple Travel A young girl with brown-red eyes and brown hair sighed as she realized another day slipped by her, the school's final bell tolled, siginalling the flood of students into the hallways. Every day was the same routine, go to class, walk home and prepare for work. While it was typical that students had part time occupations to wittle away their hours, this profession wasn't something you could brag about having. In fact, it were something one could never discuss without being considered a freak. Her closest friend, Gisei Ryogai, walked beside her. Gisei's hair was sopping wet, as he had just come from physical education, and a short, well-needed shower. Unlike his walking companion, he didn't have such a hard to explain job, having a job at the local fast food place. Although it wasn't glamourous, it was a decent way to earn money of his own. "How was Phys Ed? You're pretty beat from the looks of things." The girl asked, as the pair left the school for home. Gisei grinned cheekily at the brown-haired tomboy he had come to view as his best friend, before he went on to explain "Bara-sensei is a complete monster as always, she insists on her class being good enough to participate in the regional championship of gymnastics by the end of the year!" Yuki Bara was a rough, stocky woman whom had once won a Bronze Medal in the Olympics, a fact she tended to open with in every single Phys Ed class. The student body alternated between fear and revulsion as the short, brick-like woman forced each and every student to go through hell. The pair of students continued chatting merrily as they begun their pleasant trip home - it was a routine they had internalized after several years in each others company, though it was rare for it to be just the two of them, as usually some of their other friends from school tagged along with them. Primarily some of Shiroko's numerous admirers. Being considered to be both pretty, cool and remarkably intelligent - Shiroko had grown to become one of the most popular girls in the school, as far as its male population was concerned. "Hey, Shiro wanna hang out later thi-" Ginsei's sentence was cut short at the sudden emergence of three strangers, showing up in a blurr of speed and compressed air; hurling the teenage boy flat on his back. As he struggled to get up, he was grabbed from behind by one of the strangers. Unlike Shiroko, Ginsei's spiritual awareness was quite weak; and whereas most residents of Hama Town could clearly register the finer details of spiritual creatures, Ginsei could only make out vague shapes and blurry shadows; so he stopped resisting the moment he felt the weight of the newcomers spiritual presence emburden his body. They were three men, dressed in inconspicious clothing which would attract little attention; casuaal, yet classical, western-styled clothing which looked out of place on most of them; their inexperience with the human world coming into play in how they mixed different colors, such as brown with yellow or red with blue. "Ginsei!" Shiro yelled, seeing exactly what had transpired. Three men in horridly clashing colors, quite the affront to the eyes had appeared almost from thin air, which was impressive. Hama's reputation as a town full of spiritually aware people wasn't earned for nothing after all, and the three stood out enough in a crowd. Quickly, she instictively reached into her pocket to grab her deck of tarot cards before a dire thought registered in her mind. Most of her powers were wide area of effects, or sometimes lethal reversals if luck fought against her, which put everyone around her in danger, including the very person she wanted to help. Seeing no weapons, or anything of the sort that could be converted into a usable weapon, she had to change tactics from offense to a bit of diplomacy, or risk being overpowered. "What is it you three want? Let him go, and I'm sure we can discuss matters like rational beings, right?" Taking a deep breath, knowing that unless she could get Ginsei away from the trio of garrishly dressed captors, he was their asset to lord over any possible counter-attack. Her only prayer was that the three were indeed rational enough to understand her. The moment she finished the sentence there was suddenly four men standing infront of her, unlike before, there was no shimmer of Shunpo this time around; it was simply that he wasn't there one moment, but in the next he stood there abruptly. He was tall, at least ten inches taller than Shiroko and he his hair was fashioned into a spiky style. Unlike his crime partners, he was dressed more sensibly; wearing black jeans and a crimson partially bottom-down polo shirt; revealed in a manner which suggested that it was definately intended that people stare at his chest. But this wasn't what caught the eyes of the teenagers, no, it was his eyes; they were a particularily warm shade of hazel, but in his grim face they appeared out of place, and they held no mirth nor warmth; they were hard, unrelenting, cynical and callously vindictive. He spoke, his voice was soft and surprisingly polite; but despite his apparent intentions his voice still managed to come off as demanding and condescending, like velvet-covered steel -- cozy and soft on the outside, but unrelenting and determined nonetheless: "I've heard about you, Sorei-san and your unique talents, I've come to bring you to Soul Society, where I personally have need of your gift" When Shiroko opened her mouth to speak, he cut her off with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Now, you've not let me finish yet - I understand that you likely won't work for a guy who scouted you so harshly so I've decided to snatch the decision away from your hands. Which is why your pal will be coming with us, now, I'm a relatively simple man so I'll just get right to the point. Since you'll be my valuable rare pearl, I cannot risk spoiling your body by punishing you physically - so for that reason; whenever you do something wrong, like talking back to me or my men, or saying something you're not supposed to, your friend here will be punished in your stead" the man finished with a cold smile. Shiro closed her eyes tightly, hoping that it was just a bad dream that she had in class, that school was still in session. The four strange spiritual pressures ripped that one small hope to shreds. The knowledge that her best friend was about to become little more than a barganing chip was surreal. The worst part of it all, was the calmness the taller man radiated as he spoke so callously of hurting someone. Whoever this man was, he just proved to be the most terrible force the young Fullbringer had ever encountered. Opening her eyes, she wanted to scream, to beg, anything to save Ginsei at that moment, but she couldn't risk the man ordering his goon squad to smash the practically unaware human boy. "If I do what you want, you'll let Ginsei go, right? He and I will be free to return to our daily lives?" she asked, hopefully. Even wanting to avoid showing a single twinge of guilt or fear, just voicing those words seemed to be a strain, let alone keeping from letting emotion into them. Silence pervaded the air for some moments, before the man's smile grew even wider - but as always there was no mirth in his eyes and his smile was far from happy, it was the kind of smile people got when they were mildly amused; and while Shiroko didn't know this man, she could be fairly certain that his view of humor conflicted strongly with her own. "Sorei-san, I don't think you understand what I'm talking about; when you go with us, it will be for an unspecified amount of time - you're valuable, Sorei-san and I'm not a man to let an unusual pearl like yourself slip through my fingers easily. No, I doubt you'll ever see your family again which is why I've already arranged for them to discover your suicide note - they won't be looking for you" The man then turned around and touched the air infront of himself briefly; as two sliding doors of oriental design manifested into a long corridor, extending into the darkness. Stepping away from the portal, he mentioned silently to one of his henchmen, whom proceeded to drag Ginsei, kicking and sobbing through the portal. His men followed after the boy until at last, only Shiroko and the stranger were left. Turning his attention back to the girl, he spoke with that same eerie calm "My name is Shigenaga; you however will address as me as Shigenaga-sama or simply Master, understood? If so, after you" Shigenaga gestured to the portal in an inviting manner. As shocking as the revelations had come, Shiro didn't want to hear the answers to questions that were blazing in her thoughts. She quietly walked through the portal, the only sounds coming from her were the sounds of her breathing, shallow jagged sounding breaths. As a human, she didn't know what awaited her beyond the ornate gateway to the, she assumed, afterlife. She supposed that there was nowhere else for her, once her family saw 'her' suicide note, it'd be almost impossible for her to go back to her quiet, everyday life. For now, she'd have to wear the mask of a 'good girl' if only to ensure Ginsei's safety, which meant serving the man who just effectively killed her. Yet, the regrets were few as she stepped into the gateway, possibly from the shock beginning to set in. Goodbye life, hello future. she told herself, wondering what her future would be. Smiling icily to the sorroundings one last time, Shigenaga followed his charge through the portal; being a wealthy and influential man, Shigenaga had managed to secure a private passageway into Soul Society and it made illicit trade and kidnapping much easier. Walking beside Shiroko, he proceeded to escort she and her friend-turned-hostage to the end of the corridor and into the light. Once they had passed through the tunnel the first thing that met Shiroko's eyes was a large mansion; with elaborate white walls and black ornaments and roofs, it loomed over them ominously and despite its beauty and extravagance, it radiated a foreboding feel - as if it promised decades of imprisonment. While it might be a magnificent prison, it would be a prison nonetheless. The group moved up to the large double-doors, whom swung open of their own accord revealing a small petite young woman dressed in a beautiful Furisode, made of bright indigo-dyed silk and illustrating floral patterns and depictions, she wore her hair up, held in place by an elegant golden headwear. She was panting softly, she must've run to open the door for her master and as Shigenaga walked by her, she gazed at him like if he was a fairytale prince; no, not that - she looked at him like if he was a god in the flesh. She opened her mouth to speak, but Shigenaga silenced her with a gesture. "Sorei-san now that we're here I'll list up a couple of guidelines I think you'd do well to follow, otherwise your pal will suffer the consequences of your lenience. Firstly, there will be a couple of meals each day, every one of which you'll be sharing with me. I require you to eat well during these visits, cause if I find out that you're starving yourself - I'll be most displeased with your behaviour, and so will your friend. If you do eat well and act politely however, I will feed your friend our leftovers" pausing momentarily, he continued softily "Secondly, you're not allowed to leave this house under any circumstances, if you've not received explicit, written permission from me - and if you ever try to escape, or inform others of your situation; or even use your powers on me or one of my men, I will kill your friend on the spot!" Shigenaga then nodded before he gestured to the beautifully dressed woman "Yoko, this is Shiroko Sorei; she'll be living with us from now on, I've decided to give her the red room, would you show her the way?" The woman in question only now seemed to take any real notice of Shiroko, and when their eyes met, Yoko's face tightened in silent rage but nonetheless she put up an acid smile and proceeded to guide Shiroko up the grand stairs The Gilded Cage Shiro's frustration and anger were boiling over into her every thought and it took every ounce of her will to avoid a confrontation then and there, a confrontation that would lead to death. She decided to simply follow the young woman, who she was sure hated her, to the 'red room', as Shigenaga had called it. Her 'fight or flight' response was slowly shutting down, which made each step, once something like a blur, feel like eternity by comparison. Already, she felt like she was trapped, stuck in a place she never wanted to be, under strict orders to not so much as leave the house without written approval. Her whole world was stripped down, bare as a newborn babe, and rebuilt in a sickingly sadistic way. And with Gisei's life held in her hands, she would have to dance to whatever tune her captor desired. "Um, Yoko, wasn't it? I was just wondering, how big is this place?" Shiro asked, wanting to spark some form of communication that didn't make her feel like a servant. The servant didn't answer at first, clearly she had decided that she completely loathed Shiroko, but she remembered her task and answered with a strong hint of annoyance "It's got roughly 800 rooms, most of whom are occupied by servants, maids and soldiers; the household is separated into three different wings" the spiteful woman took a breath before she continued "The Northern Wing is resserved solely for members of the household, it is significantly less colorful and extravagant than the rest of the mansion, but its still much more than what people of our station normally have. They walked for a while before they came to a crossroad inside the castle; there was a long corridor that extended infront of them, and to either side of the archway stood two staircases, leading into the Western and Eastern Wing respectively. "The Western Wing is resserved solely for our guests, visiting friends of the Master; nobles, buisnessmen and lovers primarily - but also generally influential people, but..." Yoko turned to stare harshly at Shiroko as she mouthed her next sentence "You will be staying in the Eastern Wing, where only the most privileged of the household are allowed to stay. The Red Room is a room reserved for our most honored of guests - he must've taken a liking to you for him to hand it out so earnestly" at this point Yoko turned towards Shiroko, and her face, pale with barely supressed rage promised a gruesome death if she dared confirm the womans jealous suspicions. Shiro held up her hands defensively once Yoko finished speaking. "Honestly, I don't know what he wants with me. I'm just some girl from the Living World. I just met the man today, and he...I can't explain it to you. At least not now. There's alot more to this that what you're seeing, so don't get so angry at me. I'm the innocent one here." she said before a sense of dred crept its way up her spine. How much of what she just said would Shigenaga be willing to take out of context as if she had broken one of those rules of his? Even being completely ambiguous about exact details didn't exactly help, because odds were, he'd be able to use it to his advantage. From what she saw, Shiro's best comparison to Shirgenaga was that of a cunning snake, using his venom to trap his prey and wait until the victim either escaped and found a cure, or died trying. Deep in the darkest parts of her imagination, a perfectly healthy one brought about from all the hours she let pass by, lost in the words printed in books and the worlds portayed within, she had a bad feeling that what she knew was only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. If he was willing to place her in such an elaborate trap, what was it he wanted? Yoko lead them up the elaborate staircase that lead to the Eastern Wing, the steps were made of some unknown material, it resembled a form of ebony, and it was just as smooth - but this wasn't wooden stairs, they were made of some sort of stone. Once they had ascended the stairs Shiroko was met by the sight of a large corridor, it was beautifully decorated by small tables, supporting fashionable trinkets. The next thing that'd catch her eyes would be all the portraits and paintings; they depicted various people, most of whom she didn't know, except for several whom depicted her most gracious host, always in dramatic poses and wearing clothing of exceptional tailoring. Out of nowhere, Yoko started talking "The men on the portraits are all among the Masters most favored lovers and courtesans - they're all men, the Master loathes femininity" even as she talked about her master, her eyes lit up and her face shone with anticipation. Shiro wondered exactly what material was used to construct the steps that led to their destination. They were stone made so smooth, not even the greatest carvings wrought by human hands could have contested with them. At the top of the stairs, the hallway made its debut to her eyes. Calling it long would have seemed modest. Along both walls, Shiro couldn't help but glancing quickly at the portaits that bore many unknown faces, before a few that had her captor's visage amongst them. The now ex-spirit detective found some of the poses could have been inspired by Shakespere himself, or at least the plays that to this day and age were still viewed on stages around the world. To his credit, little as she found to give him, the man did have impeccible taste in clothing. As the hallway seemed to expand ever onward, Shiro took heed of Yoko's words and indeed, barring not a single one, the images within the frames were male. The last words from Yoko's mouth begged the question that, if Shigenana hated femininity with any degree of passion, did he ever once notice the way his servants were fawning over his every move, and in Yoko's case, willing to kill someone just out of spite? Did he simply see women as an inferior subset of the human race, or was there simply something he found more attractive in males that what could be found in women, if he could have compassion at all? Naturally as a teenage girl, Shiro had read some manga pertaining to males falling in love with each other, some of which were of true love between them, and the majority of the more popular ones were of a disgusting parody of that love. Setting the confusion brought upon by wondering if Shingenaga did have the capacity to love aside, she just walked behind Yoko, wondering what her new room would be like. ---- When they finally arrived at the Red Room, Yoko gave Shiroko another hateful stare, appearantly she didn't trust Shiroko's words at all and believed her to simply be a conniving bitch; and she demonstrated her intense dislike by forcefully showing the girl into the room, as she spoke icily "The master has instructed me to inform you that he wants you to take a bath - after you're done, simply use the golden bell to call on the maids; they've got instructions of their own" she gestured to a large, golden bell positioned at an elaborate table which stood by the edge of the large bed before she excused herself out, though she made certain to lock the door before leaving. With the jealous lady gone, Shiroko could for the first time take a good look at the room; and whatever she would've expected of a cell, it certainly wasn't this. The walls were covered by ornate, silken tapestries, dyed in a lovely shade of crimson which served to make the room feel warmer somehow. The floor was covered entirely by a velvety, fuzzy carpet, also colored a shade of crimson, no, the label "the red room" was indeed highly accurate. But what immediately struck her would be the ornate glass-doors at the end of he room, which lead out to a large balcony which offered a spectacular view of the massive garden below. No, this was by no means an ordinary cell. The door clicked behind Shiro, giving her the cue to begin her search for possibly anything that would give her the upper hand. Years of working with the Private Spirit Detective Agency had taught her much, the most important of these being a two-part rule; Trust nothing and no one and always search for a way to survive. In this case, the way to survive would be hiding her deck of tarot cards, the one object she treasured above all else, and making sure that even the most thurough cleaning of the room wouldn't uncover them. Obviously, if her host had deemed effectively killing two teenagers was an itelligent way of doing things, then logic dictates that he knew how her power functioned, for the most part, if not each card in the deck then the fair majority of the more dangerous ones and their reversal effects. To anyone else who glanced at the cards, they were little more that fancy macabre designs on paper, but to Shiro each card held meaning. Her twin brother had saved up his allowence money for weeks to buy them, all because she had developed a desire to learn how to read the future using the cards. After searching for any possible hiding spots and placing the cards next to the bell, she deemed the endevor fruitless and decided to look at the room that had suddenly become her's. The ephitet of 'Red room' was apt indeed, almost everything in the room had a crimson hue, giving the room a welcoming feel to it, belaying her previous notion of her quarters, which she had predicted would have been something more of the dungeon variety, a soul-crushing grey brick with no windows to let sunlight in, quarters in which Gisei probably resided. Shiro walked over to the one aspect of the room that was different from the rest. A glass door, on the otherside of which was a balcony. Finding the door unlocked, she stepped outside and walked to the railing on the farthest edge of the platform. The sight that greated her eyes was breathtaking. Only a God could count all the flowers that seemed to stretch on forever in the distance. Shiro almost found it romantic, like a Beauty and the Beast-type story, if it weren't for the fact she was there against her will, trapped with no recourse other than to play along with whatever the Beast in question had concocted. If anything, she now had the one place where all her worries were washed away, if for a brief moment in time. She bathed quickly, not wanting to unintentionally incur the wrath of Shigenaga. After drying herself and wrapping the towel about herself, she walked back into the room proper. "I really hope the maids have clothes." she joked before ringing the golden bell. Only moments after she had made her call, the door was unlocked and spontaneously swung open, and several maids poured in, all carrying something; whether it was expensive cosmetics or jewelry, it was brought enmasse. Even before Shiroko had the chance to talk, they had become preoccupied with picking out the perfume that would best accentuate her personality. The maids whom had brought jewelry proceeded to lay it down on the table for her to pick out on her own, they had brought all manners of jewelry imagineable - simple, decadent, garish and a few items that must've been worth a fortune. Shortly afterwards, a few more maids came inside the room; carrying bundles of clothing. It wasn't ordinary casual-wear clothing though, far from it: most of them were Komon of a grand variety of colors, patterns and marks. They also carried with them a single indigo-colored Furisode, with magnificent and elaborate designs of the darkest blue; depicting mythical creatures. Finally, three more maids came inside, each carrying with them a neatly folded Yukata, all of which were in different colors. "The Master wants us to convey an instruction of his; that you find something excellent to wear and meet him down in the dining room, it is time for your daily meal. He also requests that you pick out some jewelry from out stocks as well as using one of the perfumes provided - he much prefers decadence and luxury, so we strongly suggest you desist from wearing one of the provided Yukata, you could risk offending his expensive taste" The maids then proceeded to put the articles of clothing on the bed, before hastily excusing themselves out of the room. Once the maids had left the room, Shiro made sure the door was firmly shut before returning to the clothing on the bed. Her eye was drawn to the furisode. Something like that was surely too expensive and formal to wear to a dinner. The yukata on the other hand, she had been warned to avoid, lest she possibly offend her captive host. That left one of the komon, formal without being overkill. She settled on a red one with a blue flower pattern. She dressed slowly, making doubly sure it was donned correctly. Once the garment was properly in place, she carefully sorted through the jewelry. The pile could easily be worth enough for a human to live like a God's-honest king for all his days with no monetary care in the world, and that was the most conservative guess she had. After a good five minutes, she had the pile sorted into smaller piles by type of jewelry, rings, bracelets, necklaces and, earrings. Once it was sorted and catagorized, Shiro picked out a silver heart pendant necklace and a sapphire ring. Finally, she picked out a perfume with a cherry blossom scent. Once everything was properly placed, she walked out into the spacious hall in search of someone who could help her find the dining room. While she was walking, she found one of the maids. "Excuse me, where's the dining room? I'm supposed to be there ASAP, and I don't want to be any later than I have to be." Dinner A petite, young woman approached Shiroko shyly from the side; barely daring to raise her voice to speak for whatever reason, but she finally mustered the courage at any rate "U-uhm, Sorei-sama - this way please, the master loathes waiting" Without waiting for Shiroko's response, the woman grabbed onto her arm and rather unceremoniously proceeded to pull her with her, despite her small frame, her strength was impressive. Unlike Yoko, the girl wasn't inclined to talk about Shigenaga; and particularily when she spoke the word "master" her voice was cold and grudgeful, certainly her most gracious host wasn't as well liked by all of his servants. As they hurried down the long corridors, and down smooth staircases, Shiroko could see her guide clearly, she had pigtails, a rare sight in Soul Society and a lightly freckled face. Despite the grip she held her in, she didn't seem all that unfriendly, just slightly worried. Her momentum suddenly came to an abrupt halt, just as they rounded a corner; and were faced with another corrdor, with but a single large double-door in the far end. Moving slowly and with trained dignity, she walked over to the doors, and without looking up - she opened them up wide and followed Shiroko inside. They entered a large room, with elegant pictures on the walls and a long table with all manners of food and tasty delights, by the far end of the room was a large fireplace and a cozy chair, on that very chair sat Shigenaga perched like royalty. He had bathed too, she saw - there was nothing of that rugged annoyance she had seen earlier. His common clothing were gone, replaced instead with a gold-lined fur-trimmed crimson coat, dark pants and a maroon sash, tied in a delicate cord around his waist. His true remarkable features however, were that he himself wore jewelry, it was uncommon for men to wear it, but he wore it sparingly. Limited to three identical golden earrings in his left earlobe; each of them formed into a plain vertical shape, and only decorated with a single red ruby at their base, making them vaguely resemble a nest of poised golden serpents, his outfit was completed by a plain golden ring at his right hand. Shiro was impressed as the maid was able to actually pull her along with what looked to be little effort. That impression gave way to confusion as they made their way to the dining hall, a trip that seemed to take forever and a day. Shiro swore the mansion seemed to have grown, or maybe her nerves we getting the better of her, possibly hunger could have something to do with it as well. After rounding the corner, it became appearent the dining room was just ahead. As her guide opened the doors, Shiro tired to straighten out her hair, which had become a mess in the time it took just to make the trek from her room to here. Once the doors were open, she walked into the room. Her first sight was the immense proportion of foodstuffs, the table looked almost fit for a holiday meal, not some everyday-type dinner. And then she let her eyes wander about the room, looking at everything in sight, the myriad images hanging on the walls even the walls themselves, before finally she saw Shigenaga sitting by the fire. He cleaned up nice, that she would admit. Unsure of what to do, she bowed her head in respect to the man and the fact he quite litterally held her life in his hands. "Shigenaga-sama?" she said, her voice timid, quite unlike herself. She stood stock still and waited for him to acknowledge her presense, and knowing the way her luck has gone from average to downright poor within the span of a few hours, deliver a slew of rules she would have to obey in the dining room, especially after his previous comment of if she behaved herself, he'd at least give Gisei some of the leftovers. It took a few moments before the man bothered to answer his charge, turning his head around slowly to inspect her; while resting his chin on his hand, appearing almost bored at the situation. Once he had given her a twice-over he rose from his chair and spoke softly "You're a pretty woman, Shiroko; you've chosen your garbs well, I'm quite content" Taking her hand in his, he proceeded to give it a slight squeeze before he personally took her to the table, before momentarily releasing her hand to pull out her chair in a manner which came off as surpirisingly chivalrous; he made no effort to overdramatize or mock her, which suggested his gesture was indeed sincere. After she was seated, he actually smiled; a smile that showed just the right amount of theeth and which caused his entire face to beam up considerably, losing much of that, sharp, business-like expression it had held just moments previously. His eyes, normally, cold, mirthless and calculating momentarily seemed to gleam with some flicker of emotion, a rare breach in his cold facade perhaps? "Shiroko, while we're dining, I'd prefer if you just called me Shige - I find it hard to enjoy a proper meal when conversation is kept so formal. For this reason, I give you permission to say or ask whatever is on your mind while we dine, keeps me amused" despite his words, Shigenaga still sent Shiroko a short stare, which warned that while he'd cut her tongue alot of slack; being openly rude or disrespectful towards him would still not be tolerated. Shiro smiled back at him. He just gave her the freedom to almost say anything, but the glare he just shot her made her nervous. She knew she still had to be careful, or else. But, in that one moment he smiled, was that sincere or another farce to lower her guard? He had been stone cold just a moment before, and the change was all too sudden to be able to tell for sure. He was even polite enough to pull out her chair, "Thank you for giving me a chance to speak my mind. Before we begin eating, I want to ask if you still intend to keep the promise you made, that if I behave, you will give my friend some leftovers. That's what you said, if I remember correctly." Rather than being a question, it was more a statement. As she spoke, she lost her timidness as she was given the chance to speak her mind, within reason. Shigenaga sat down in his chair and absentmindedly began putting some meat on his plate, only giving her a passing glance before nodding in confirmation "Indeed, Shiroko, that was my promise and I intend to keep it, don't let that bother you however, you should have a feast - I've prepared enough food for both us, and your friend" The Warlock turned his attention back to his food, as he began to cut up slices of meat; although the exact type of meat was unknown to Shiroko, most likely the meat of some creature native to Soul Society. Looking up, he smiled again, before adding "Lets not talk about your friend though, I'm certain you've got alot of questions, lets spend the evening getting to know one another better" Shiro relaxed at those words, one worry off her mind. "Um...I know this is gonna sound really personal, and if you don't want to answer, I don't have the means for force you, but anyway, I noticed that not one of the paintings I've seen have a female subject. Is there any particular reason for this?" As soon as the question left her lips, she started to realize how foolish the question probably sounded to Shigenaga. After all, it was quite a sudden question to be asked by a total stranger, especially as the first 'get-to-know' type question. But, it was too late to take the words back. The man turned to glance at her immediately, those cold hazel eyes sizing her up, in a manner which suggested some level of curiousty; appearantly, he hadn't expected her first question to be this personal. His stare grew more intense, before his features softened somewhat and his lips curved into an amused smirk "I suppose I could say that I simply don't like women, but that would be neither informative nor true. The fact is, Shiroko, I'm a Shinigami; your human views of romance doesn't really apply to me, why should I keep a woman around? To cook, clean, do my laundry or perhaps simply to kick around to ascertain my masculinity? None of these things matter to me, I'm a man who sees value and women have nothing to really offer me" Leaning back in his chair, he proceeded in a more serious tone "There's also another matter, Shinigami are spirits of duallity, there is a pretty large difference between how the spiritual bodies of males and females are assimilated; this is a duality of balance and it much be upheld; otherwise it will have fatal consequences" Shigenaga cut himself short, and instead of continuing his explanation he simply walked over to Shiroko, reached out with his hand and touched her cheek slowly; it wasn't a caress, it wasn't even particularily friendly - more like a determined poke than anything else; but something stirred within Shiroko at his touch; and she almost instantly realized it wasn't emotion, it was her own spiritual energy that rose to meet his. But when it did, she felt something else... Energy crackled within her, as their spiritual wavelengths met one another - but the instant the connection of their respective signatures were made, a sudden pain jolted through her entire being as she felt the enormous difference between their respective powers, she was a candle thrown into an endless chasm; Shigenaga's mere presence raged around her as a violent maelstrom of energy even as they stood there silently, she felt as though it attempted to consume her, devour her then and there and erase any trace of her. However, in this myriad of chaotic energy, her powers kicked in, seemingly of their own accord - she began to see pictures, illustrations and drawings. Each of them depicted Shigenaga, but in the chaos she couldn't make out the detail until she relaxed and concentrated upon it, shutting out the burning agony of Shigenaga's touch and focusing on her powers, reaching out for them and seizing them with a firm hand, whether it was due to the fact that she was in Soul Society or some other reason - she felt her powers had improved; and at last she managed to slow the myriad of pictures down to a halt. A scene seemed to unfurl before her minds eye; a young boy - clad in classical ornamental finery was sitting alone by a pond in what seemed to be a fairly large garden, his clothes were dirtied, his body was bruised and one look at his swollen, red eyes and Shiroko could make out that he had cried.. alot. Judging from his bruises, it would appear that he had been roughed up pretty badly by someone. The boy lifted his hands to brush away his tears, and it was then realization struck her, those hazel eyes were extremely familiar, even while they showed neither malice nor the cynical scowl her host always wore, it was definitely Shigenaga. As he sat there, forlorn and lonely, staring blankly into the clear pond, soon an old woman entered Shiroko's field of vision. But there was something off about her, she didn't seem worried, or sympathetic in the least; in fact, her wrinkled face was pale with fury "How dare you refer to yourself as my grandson, Shigenaga - that was pathetic! You let those hooligans walk all over you; you should be utterly ashamed of yourself" When the boy opened his mouth to defend himself, he was rewarded instead with a violent slap to the face that resounded through the garden "Silence, Shigenaga - indecisiveness is a sin, so is weakness - you possess both of these in equal measure, I've taught you how to harness your gift, child - now is the time to use it to smite down your assailants" The boy had begun to cry again, long sobs, which he tried to, and failed miserably to hide from his raging mad grandmother.. "I-I'll do better t-tommorow, I p-promise, Baa-chan!" The old woman turned on her heels and began to walk away "No, you won't, cause until you've proven yourself, you're no longer my Grandson; I don't want to see your face until you've enacted your revenge, and make it sweet" Shiroko could literally feel the panic clump in Shigenaga's throat as he yelled sobbingly for "Baaaa-chaaan!" even as she walked inside the mansion, and locked the door behind her, leaving the child out in the cold. Shiroko was shocked back to reality by the sound of Shigenaga's smooth baritone whispering into her ear softly "Had your fun yet, witch?" and it struck her that because of their connected wavelengths, Shigenaga had seen the memory together with her and while his voice was soft, almost soothing she could feel his fury like a physical pressure, weighing down on her body, as if to crush her -- with only Shigenaga's willpower preventing it from actually doing so. He rose slowly, and without any further ado, he spoke "Get out, dinner is cancelled" his voice shook with rage, but in its outlines she could make out something else, but he gave her no more time to think before he repeated himself. "Get out" Shiro sprinted out of the dining room, a feeling of dread washing over her. While she had always been able to, for lack of better words, peer into the hearts of others, see their intentions. It’s a power she never wanted, but ever since her Fullbring manifested the way it had, this power was her’s, no matter what. But this time, it acted differently. Never before had she seen into another’s past before. She didn’t even want to ponder the implications of the event before she was far away from the dining room, and away from her captor. She sped through the hallways, the twisting, turning maze seemed less expansive but only because of the adrenaline coursing throughout her body. The fear in her mind kept her moving, straight back to the Red Room. All of the running had her heart beating at an incredible pace. Panting heavily, Shiro closed and locked the door behind before collapsing into a heap on the bed. Her mind forced the same images she just bore witness to back upon her as she thought of exactly what could have happened just before. It felt like a crushing darkness welled up from seemingly nowhere, tossing her into what could best be described as a whirlwind of memories, fragments of them at least. Just before the memories had swallowed her, she could feel something change inside, almost like part of her soul cried out for understanding, understanding of the man who held her captive with threats. Somehow, that event must have jump-started her power, triggering a side effect she never believed could be possible; entering another person’s memories. Shiro couldn’t help but feel sympathy Shigenaga. Having seen a portion of his past was painful enough, but living it would amount to sheer hell. Just surviving that life was something that could justify his behavior, especially after enduring the cruel reign of that old woman. It was easy to see how somebody could shut down emotionally, grow detached and spiteful of others. Consequences Morning come, the door to her bedroom was opened and a familiar face entered into her room, dressed in finery as always was Yoko, striding inside the room without a care for Shiroko's privacy proceeded to walk over to her bed and shake the young Fullbringer awake harshly. As she laid eyes upon the face of Yoko, she would almost immediately notice that the usual rage and hatred was gone; replaced instead with a sense of gloating malice, as if she was about to enact vengeance for whatever it was that Shiroko had done to displease her. "The Master is most displeased about your actions last evening; and he wants to see you in his office immediately, my guess is that he's planning to punish you gravely for your misdeeds" Yoko's voice shook with glee at her own news; Shiroko could literally feel just how much pleasure she derived from the possibility of Shiroko facing punishment. Moving over to the door, she spoke again, with saccharine sarcasm; making her voice as sweet as she could, "Sorei-sama, I'll wait outside while you dress up in your favorite gown, I'm certain you must practically be dying to see the master again" opening the door, she was about to exit the room before she turned back around, and added, with the same overly sweet voice "Might I suggest something white? If he cuts you down, your blood would contrast exquisitively with the pale color of the gown!" As she closed the door behind her, Yoko couldn't help the gloatful giggle that escaped her lips, and when the door closed, Shiroko could still hear her bubbling voice making fun of her obvious predicament. Shiro felt a renewed fear clawing its way through her as Yoko gloated over her like that. It was still a mystery to what she had done to earn such scorn from the woman. Recalling yesterday when she arrived, she remembered Yoko going from mildly annoyed to full of disdain and hate in the span of a few moments. Whatever animosity existed between the two would have to wait for another day, if Shiro was alive come the end of the coming encounter. She picked out a carmine red gown and got ready to face Shigenaga's wrath, even if the event that caused it was beyond her control. She didn't even know exactly how it happened or any details beyond what she had bore witness to. That fact alone was her defense, one that a sensible man could understand, but anger was a poison that clouds the mind and swallows reason and logic, sundering them and casting them away. Once she was ready to endure her fate, whatever it was to be, she opened the door. Drumming up the remnents of her courage, she asked the fateful question. "Where is the master's office?" Even with a brave front, her neves got the best of her as she spoke, a slight quiver in her voice being the only give away. Yoko moved up to her the instant she had left the door, all false smiles and mocking courtesy, she held Shiroko's hand in her own and proceeded to lead her down the corridor all while absentmindedly talking about how her master was a wise man, to have understood just how much of a show-off and a useless bauble Shiroko was; sauntering over to a large door at the end of the corridor, she opened it slowly and signalled for Shiroko to step inside. Shigenaga's office was quite sparingly decorated, it was a circular room with simple furniture and rows of bookshelfs lining the walls; although she couldn't recognize any of the titles. The moment she entered the room, Yoko lead her to sit at a chair positioned infront of Shigenaga's desk - before moving behind the warlock and starting to massage his shoulders tenderly. Laying aside whatever he had previously been doing, Shigenaga raised his gaze to meet Shiroko; his intense hazel eyes meeting brown; as he spoke softly "I don't appreciate what you did Sorei-san; my memories are my own and no one may see them without my permission, however, I also know that you didn't do it on purpose and thus I've decided to forgive you" Shigenaga finished slowly, putting added emphasis on the word "forgive". As he spoke, Shiroko could visibly feel the color drain from Yoko's face; and her hands, whom had to that point been so eagerly rubbing Shigenaga's shoulders stopped dead in their tracks, her whole body trembled with rage as the warlock rose slowly from his chair and walked over to the door, opening it slowly he turned to the two women and added in his smooth baritone "I'll need to attend to some errands, Yoko, I want this place cleaned and tidy by the time I return, I'd rather reward a good servant than punish her" before he stepped out of the door and vanished, leaving Yoko and Shiroko alone. With great haste, Yoko rushed to the door, the soft pitter patter of her gentle stops betraying the fury that so obviously emanated from her petite frame. Locking the door slowly, she turned over to Shiroko, and she smiled a wide smile, almost splitting her face in two - but this particular one wasn't the usual, mocking grin, it was the grin of a desperate and broken woman. As if on cue Yoko reached into her Furisode and drew out a long slender dagger, obviously meant to be used in self-defense in the event of a possible attack. Yoko raised her gaze to meet Shiroko's, and now her smile had returned to the usual saccharine "I understand now; he's not interested in me because of you. Well, sweetie, I'll make it easier for the both of us - I'm gonna fix your face so that he can't bear to look at you ever again!" Yoko finished like she just had an obvious revolution... before she charged at Shiroko, dagger wielded in a reverse-grip for easier useage. Yoko's prowess was far greater than anyone would attribute to a maid, she moved with both grace and agility; much beyond what any human should be capable of, and in a couple of steps she had traversed the distance between them and swung her arm forward to attack; her dagger being directed at Shiroko's face, no doubt meant to scar her gruesomely. Shiro saw Yoko holding a long dagger and reacted accordingly. The only problem was, her reflexes were nothing compared to the practiced and skilled movements Yoko displayed. Pulling the soul of the floor, easier than usual for a reason she didn't quite understand, Shiro was able to jump out of harm's way. Although it was against every moral fiber in her body, she rolled back her left sleeve to reveal the deck of cards she treasured beyond all else, the focus of all the power she possessed, tied to her arm. A slight tap caused the deck to glow and produce a sound like shuffling cards, despite the lack of movement. No sooner did the sound fade had Shiro drawn the first card, revealing the King of Wands card. The card glowed a vibrant blue and seemed to emit flames from somewhere. A moment later, the room was ablaze in spirtual flame, but no smoke seemed to exist. Shiro focused on most the blaze and altered it's form to suit her needs, creating small, slow moving spheres of flame, a passing mimicry of her brother's own technique. The remaining fire, she kept by her for a defense should the need arise. Meanwhile, the orbs above moved about, unfocused and lacking direction. Each held enough explosive force equal to an half-ounce of TNT. "Yoko, please. Stop now, before somebody actually gets hurt. I understand you think I'm here to woo your master, but he's yet to tell me why I'm here. I don't want to cause anyone harm, especially over a misunderstanding like this. Lay down your dagger and we can be done with this."' Yoko didn't appear to care at all, and even while she barked her retort, she grasped the back of a nearby chair with a single hand "I don't care whether or not you want to woo him. But whenever you're around he's not got the time for me!" with a roar, Yoko whipped the chair up into the air and threw it at Shiroko with great force, attempting to crush her under the weight of the furniture-turned-artillery. Due to the angle at which she threw it however, the chair sverved slightly out of position and flew past Shiroko harmlessly, crashing into the wall with a heavy thud; sending a cascade of debris through the air. Yoko's next movement was almost instantenous, with practised grace, she lunged forward; ignoring the spheres of fire that loomed ominously above her; the long dagger held firmly by her delicate manicured fingers, even as she dashed across the office, her hands reached into the sleeve of her furisode to pull out a fan of smaller daggers, which she proceeded to throw at the teenager with lethal accuracy, as the tempered steel flashed through the air - aiming to sheathe themselves in Shiroko's chest. The deranged maid cackled in glee as she, masked by her pre-emptive strike, moved towards her intended victim, but at the fifth step she vanished completely to Shiroko's eyes; the technique used immediately recognized as Shunpo, and while Yoko's prowess was most certainly amateurish by Shinigami standards - the movement was still quick enough to allow her to easily slip past Shiroko's outer fireballs; and enter into melee range. Yoko's attack was immediate and took place the instant she had slipped through the girls defenses, the servant lashed out with her dagger, aimed at Shiroko's throat; its blade coated in some sort of weird liquid. During the scuffle, Shiroko could plainly see Yoko's bewildered gaze, it was obvious that this woman was beyond the point of reason; and if she didn't get her act together, she would be scarred for life, if she managed to survive at all. The remaining flame rose to intercept the multitude of daggers, melting them into uselessness. The remnents felt to the floor with a clang as the fires vanished. That gave Shiro the freedom to handle Yoko's sudden and lethal attack. Unaware of the liquid on the blade, she used the back of her right hand to push the dagger away from any vital areas. The cool metal edge stung as it bit into her skin, severing blood vessals and muscle tissue. Luckily it was a thrusting attack rather than a slashing one, or else trying to alter its path would have been foolish and pointless. Too late, she finally noticed the blade was wet with something. Blood oozed from the resultant wound, large drops of red puddled and fell to the floor. Before Yoko could make a second strike, Shiro was on the run, trying to create some distance between her and her assailant. Pain coursed through her body, dulling her senses. She slowly moved her hand to draw another card and panicked as her draw glowed with a red light, representing a reversed draw effect, in this case, it was the Fool Arcana. That rendered her with two more draws, putting her in a tighter position than before. She's nuts! I don't see why anyone would be this desperate for someone like Shigenaga. ''To stall for time, Shiro broke the random flight of the fireballs and organized them into a defensive pattern in front of herself. Once the spheres were in place, she drew her next card, glad to see it was the Queen of Cups, a water attribute card. Like the King of Wands before, the element appeared from nowhere. "Purify. Heal." she said once the card was done glowing. Two thin streams of water wound around the cut, first of which would prevent any forign substance from causing her harm and the second was self explainitory, healing the wound like it never happened. Yoko shrieked as she threw herself forwards, the dagger clutched firmly in her grip, and her eyes gleaming with crazed bloodthirst. Once again, she vanished tracelessly to Shiroko's eyes; as she darted around the room flinging more of her hidden daggers meant to kill her self-acknowledged nemesis once and for all; as scores of flying daggers seemingly erupted from thin air, closing in on the teenaged girl from multiple directions. Numbering in roughly three dozen! Beyond this however, Yoko made no second attempt to further enclose upon Shiroko, instead she began giggling uncontrolably out of the blue before collapsing in a heap on the floor. As she continued her insane cackling, froth gathered at the edges of her mouth before it slowly began trickling down her jaw and onto the floor, forming a small pool of drool. When Shiroko looked into her eyes, she could see that her eyes seemed to dilate and expand at erratic rates. Shiro mentally commanded the spheres of fire to intercept the daggers. Upon contact with a dagger, the orb faded from existance. A few of the steel weapons had slid past, forcing Shiro to run. To her, the pond sized area of water was virtually non-existant, leaving her free to evade the knives before they became a lethal threat. Once the rain of knives had ended, Shiro looked around, wondering where Yoko was and if there was yet another attack coming. When she saw Yoko lying on the ground, still cackling like a madwoman. She moved closer, yet still kept out of the range of the dagger, unsure of the safety of what's occuring. ''Her eyes...why are they expanding and contracting like that? Shiro only could watch and wait to see if Yoko would come around. She didn't, Yoko simply continued cackling as she rolled around on the floor pitifully, her pupils expanding and dilating at accelerated rates. It appeared like she had completely forgotten about Shiroko altogether, while Yoko's sanity had been brought into question before, it was now not even the slightest hint of a doubt about her mental condition - the woman was utterly insane, how she had managed to stay functional for this long was incomprehensible. Suddenly Shiroko heard a familiar voice, a smooth baritone coming from the desk "Mhmm.. Shiroko, you're indeed a facinating girl. I was right to bring you here from the human world - they would never appreciate your talents the way I would. You're truthfully my rare little bird" Turning around, Shiroko would find Shigenaga sitting in the exact same chair he had appearantly left only minutes earlier - his handsome features were accentuated by a smile, but while it was a smile, it was one devoid of mirth; it was the kind of grin one would expect to see on a cat who has recently managed to chase a mouse up into a corner and is gleefully enjoying the last moments of his prey. Those hazel eyes were as intense as ever, and as always they appeared hollow and empty, devoid of understanding, devoid of concious and devoid of any particular emotion. Standing up, Shigenaga began to rummage through the drawers of his desk before he pulled out a silvery weapon-like object, vaguely resembling a gun before pushing the drawer shut. Walking over to stand beside his so called "rare bird" Shigenaga gave Yoko a passing glance before he spoke softly "Yoko was abit rebellious before you came, so I decided to attempt to use my gifts to make her more... agreeable -- unfortunately, I think she might've caused herself some.. lasting damage when she tried to resist me. The result is the woman you see before you" Reaching out with his hands, Shigenaga gave Shiroko the weapon he had retrieved from his desk, before he let his hands wander to her head, as he played with strands of her hair, his touch was suprisingly tender. Although to Shiroko the unwelcome touch would feel more like he had dropped a score of crawling spiders into her hair. He then leaned down to whisper into her ear softly, almost seductively "I'm certain you never thought I had truly forgiven you for your stunt before. No, I couldn't - but while I could take it out on your friend as we arranged, I instead want you to feel the weight of what you've done.." drawing a deep breath, Shigenaga's voice, before soft and tender, turned dark and grave "I want you to kill Yoko, Shiro-san - and if you don't, I'll kill your friend instead. Now, decide which of their lives are worth more to you, your sweetheart or this woman, a person who just tried murder you for a reason as shallow as spite. Even should you decide to spare Yoko, I will simply command some of my men to... misplace another of your classmates" Ceasing his monologue, Shigenaga stepped away from Shiroko slowly, to allow her time and space to make her decision, as well as make a clear shot should she decide to do as Shigenaga told her. When he had made suitable distance, he spoke again "I advice you to aim for the throat, Shiroko - it muffles the victim screaming and it kills instantly and its generally cleaner overall, I don't want to dirty my lovely carpet more than absolutely nessecary after all" Shiro shook in place as the gun rested in her hands. She hadn't really paid attention to the unwanted contact Shigenaga had brought upon her, rather, the moral dilemma of killing someone or putting her friends' lives in danger. If she shot Yoko, her blood would forever be on her hands, but worse is the same would be said if she didn't pull the trigger. Either way, Shigenaga won. She was against me for no reason...I did nothing to her. All I did was come her against my will. Her thinly-veiled jabs at me were baseless and shallow. I could get revenge now. Shiro's mind was in a haze. Even though she would be justified in taking the shot, even thinking of taking a life made her sick. I can't...I won't become what he wants. I won't be a killer. I refuse. But if I don't, it would be a matter of time before someone else pays the price. How is that fair? But how is it fair that I'm the one who has to make this choice? The hammer of the gun was cocked, ready to fire. All that was left was to take the safety off, aim and fire. She couldn't stop her hands from shaking as the two different posibilities bickered back and forth. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity, slowly, as if time had suddenly drawn itself out to force her to accept the weight of such a decision. Almost endless moments slipped by while she contemplated, the stress of having to make the call was eating at her, bit by bit. One life in exchange for many, a martyr that would save classmates, friends, and family. Endless numbers of innocents could be protected by a single action. It was the same logic that drew her to the PSDA in the first place, giving herself to the service of others. But now, she was unsure. Could a life be worth so much and so little at the same time? Somehow, one side of her thoughts would have to give. She spited me, no provocation, no reason. Life could be so much simpler with her gone from me. I...still don't want to shoot. This could be my chance to show her I mean well. But, is Ginsei, Haze or Minato's lives worth me trying to show unwarrented kindness? What should I do?! Finally, she decided on a course of action. The shaking had stopped, and she seemed distant. She raised the gun, undid the safety and carefully took aim. Even now, it was hard for her to imagine doing this, let alone actually taking the chance. But the scales had been tipped, one live versus many, a stranger against friends and family. The choice was clear. She had to protect as many lives as possible, it was her only option. Shiro pulled the trigger, sending the bullet straight into Yoko's lower neck. Once she realized she had actually done the deed, she tossed the gun aside and knelt down, entering a state of shock for but a moment before becoming a sobbing wreck. Missing Child Gyakusetsu Nagori was worried. She kept pretty good tabs on her friends- but Shiroko had been out of touch for days. She's probably just studying for final exams... is what she wanted to think. Of course Shiroko is. There wasn't any need to look deeper into it, in a few days she'd turn up as usual. But what if she doesn't? An irrational persistent dread was compelling her to check it out. "No! I'm sure she's fine." Nagori began chewing her sandwich with an abnormal sense of determination, but her mind kept summoning up images of a Kuroko being jumped by thugs, or being trapped in a building... or being carried away by king kong. Damnit. ''WIth a resigned sigh, the part-time swordwoman tucked in the last of her meal and headed out the front door of the cafe. "HEY! Get back here! You haven't paid!" She was already hurtling over a nearby rooftop by the time the shopkeeper exited the door. ---- Hours later... Gyakusetsu Nagori was at a loss for words. Shiroko was gone. ''How could she be gone? Nobody is ever just gone. Gyakusetsu Nagori is the best tracker in the world. No one can even come close to her ability- the ability to see the threads of fate, to know the predestination and past of any person. This ability should allow her to follow a person anywhere, to any point they will pass along their past or future, but... Shiroko's thread was gone. Up to a certain point, the thread simply faded away. This was something Nagori had never encountered, and it confused and infuriated her. "How can someone's future just fade away?! If she were dead, there would be a clear laceration, but I can see it clearly... the thread has not been severed." This strangeness was something outside of Nagori's experience. She needed help. Reasoning the PSDA had information and resources to deal with the problem, Nagori headed to the run-down station. ---- Gaki was seated behind his carved oak desk, in his fancy leather chair (proportioned for his tiny body) and leaned back to enjoy a carmel apple spice beverage. The child-like director of the PSDA looked a little odd, wearing high-end business atire, but appearances can be deceiving; the little person was in fact a powerful mage at the top of a country-spanning supernatural organization. "Thank the heavens for Starbucks." As he tipped the mug back for a sip.. BAM The door to his office slammed open. Shocked by the sudden disturbance, Gaki's chair tipped backwards. Gaki could only yell in horror as the boiling hot caramelized concoction spilled onto his face, his suit, his brand new chair, and the carpet beneath. Kicking out for balance, his left shoe marred his desk- a family heirloom. "Gaki! There is an emergenc- squeek. Squeek? Squeek squeek!?" Before Gyakusetsu Nagori could complete her sentence, she had been transformed into a mouse. With dawning terror, she stared into the livid eyes of the director bore as they into hers. Moments later, Nagori was running for her life as the puny Gaki, now a shoe-wielding giant, tried to pound her into jelly. "Do you have any idea how much that suit costs?! It's dry clean only! And that desk is an irreplacable gift from my father!" he shouted as he chased her around the office. Of course, this only served to create even more of a mess as he toppled objects, scattered paperwork and knocked over filecabinets in a vain attempt at revenge. Category:Njalm2 Category:Storylines